1. A voice at the table
There’s power in numbers. Joining the association gives your voice more authority over the decisions that affect your classroom and career. Whether you advocate for changes in your school, speak at school board meetings, advocate for increased school funding at the state and local level, or lobby your state legislators and city/county board members, your local will support you and your students.
2. Increased pay and benefits
As part of your local association, you can fight for professional pay, health care, and retirement security so a career in education is a viable profession.
3. Improved professional practice
Your local association helps you advocate for access to high-quality professional development and increased collaboration time so you can improve your practice. Your association (and that means you and your co-workers!) can work with the school district to develop mentoring and other support from more experienced colleagues.
4. Nation-wide community of educators
When you are a member of your local association, you are also a member of your state affiliate and the national NEA. The association is your way to connect with like minded colleagues across the district, state, and nation who are working to better students’ lives.
5. Improved working and student learning conditions at your worksite
Local associations empower educators to advocate for smaller class size, less standardized testing, input into curriculum, and safe buildings, just to name a few. These working conditions mean a better learning environment for students.
6. Positive change in your workplace
The association can work with the administration as a partner and collaborate with the PTA and other community organizations to resolve issues in your school. As an educator who knows the students best, you can work with the administration to solve problems together.
7. Enhanced rights
A collective bargaining agreement is an enforceable legal document that protects your rights. It contains a formal procedure for advancing grievances with support of expert staff and leaders. Even if your state doesn’t allow collective bargaining agreements, your association will be there for you to offer guidance, advice, and, if necessary, legal representation.
8. Commitment to social justice
As a member of the association, you join forces with fellow educators to make a difference in the social justice issues that matter most to you and affects your students’ lives. The association works to achieve opportunity for all students in schools and can provide training to members to develop new strategies.
9. Liability insurance
Because the liability potential can be so serious for individuals employed by schools and other educational units (and your employer doesn’t always have your back), NEA provides all eligible association members with professional liability insurance through the NEA Educators Employment Liability(EEL) Program.
10. NEA Member Benefits
Improve your buying power and save money with NEA’s Member Benefits program that offers extensive benefits and discounts for products and services you use everyday.
